Apparatus for Producing Tire Oil from Waste Tires

ABSTRACT

Disclosed relates to an apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires, which does not incinerate the waste tires but produce tire oil from the waste tires. The apparatus of the invention pyrolyzes waste tires at comparatively low temperature by supplying oxygen of small quantity. Accordingly, the apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires does not contaminate environment but utilizes the waste tires efficiently.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires and, more particularly, to an apparatus that does not incinerate the waste tires directly but produce tire oil from the waste tires. That is, the apparatus of the invention pyrolyzes waste tires at comparatively low temperature of 180° C. to 200° C. by supplying oxygen of small quantity, converts carbon C and hydrogen H ingredients contained in the waste tire into combustible hydrocarbon gas C_(m)H_(n) and utilizes the hydrocarbon gas, after condensing and cooling process, as an alternative energy for light oil or heavy oil. Accordingly, the apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires does not contaminate environment but utilizes the waste tires efficiently.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, as automobiles have been explosively spread worldwide, disposal of waste tires having increased rapidly becomes one of the social problems.

As the waste tire is a highly polymerized compound of a high-energy containing isoprene and butadiene belonging to hydrocarbon homologue and its natural decomposition rate in the atmosphere and under the ground is very low, the waste tire is disposed mainly by incineration.

However, various harmful gases, dust, etc., generated when disposing the waste tires by incineration, lead to serious atmospheric contamination and filthy odors generated thereby make it difficult to choose a new place for incineration facilities.

Accordingly, various methods for recycling the waste tires have been suggested. The methods for recycling the waste tires include processing utilization, reclaiming utilization and recycling utilization as an alternative energy source. Among them, the recycling utilization method is classified into direct incineration, dry distillation incineration and oil production via pyrolysis.

Meanwhile, the waste tire has pyrolytic ingredients, which are decomposed into low molecular states when applying heat, and non-decomposition ingredients, which are not decomposed. The amount of pyrolytic ingredients contained is over 50% and the non-decomposition ingredients except for iron cores include carbon black applied for fabricating tires and inorganic materials used as various additives. In addition, it has been learned that, when applying heat to the waste tires at a temperature over a decomposition reaction temperature, the polymer chain is cut to decompose and become gaseous material, while the non-decomposition ingredients remain as remnants, thus obtaining oil by condensing the gaseous material.

According to the above-described theory, Nu-Tec System, ATR, etc. in U.S.A. have pyrolyzed waste tires at the temperature of 500° C. to 700° C. using a rotary kiln reactor as a pyrolysis reactor for producing oil from waste tires. In this case, it is generally known that the oil yield is about 40 wt % of the input of waste tires.

Besides, the University of Hamburg in Germany has pyrolyzes waste tires at the temperature of 700° C. to 800° C. using a fluidized reactor. In this case, it is generally known that the oil yield is about 30 wt % of the input of waste tires.

However, as the above-described pyrolysis methods are the indirect heating methods that apply heat to waste tires at high temperature of 500° C. to 800° C., they need to apply separate oil for heating. Accordingly, their oil yields obtained substantially from the input of waste tires are low, about 50% to 60% of that of the present invention described above roughly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to solve the conventional drawbacks described above. The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for producing oil from waste tires, which doesn't incinerate waste tires directly but pyrolyzes waste tires at comparatively low temperature of 180° C. to 200° C. by supplying oxygen of small quantity, converts carbon C and hydrogen H ingredients contained in the waste tires into combustible hydrocarbon gas C_(m)H_(n) and utilizes the hydrocarbon gas, after condensing and cooling process, as an alternative energy for light oil or heavy oil. Accordingly, the apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires does not contaminate environment but utilizes the waste tires efficiently.

To accomplish the object of the invention, there is provide an apparatus for producing oil from waste tires comprising: a pyrolysis equipment including a tires drop and a gas outlet on a top thereof, an igniter in a predetermined height and an oxygen supply pipe for supplying oxygen of small quantity from a bottom, the pyrolysis equipment pyrolyzing waste tires by applying heat of 180° C. to 200° C. direct to the waste tires; a quick cooler including a cooling oil inlet connected from an outside to a top inside thereof, a cooling oil sprayer provided on the top inside thereof, a gas inlet on a lower position thereof and a gas outlet on one side of the top thereof, the quick cooler ejecting cooling oil to hydrocarbon gas, discharged from the gas outlet of the pyrolysis equipment and introduced via the gas inlet to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a first condenser of a predetermined volume including a cooling water circulating pipe established on an outer circumference thereof, a gas inlet provided on a top center thereof, an oil outlet formed on a bottom center thereof and a gas outlet provided near the oil outlet, the first condenser firstly condensing the hydrocarbon gas, not liquefied in the quick cooler but discharged via the gas outlet and introduced into the first condenser via the gas inlet, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a second condenser of a predetermined volume including a cooling water circulating pipe established on an outer circumference thereof, a gas inlet provided on a top center thereof, an oil outlet formed on a bottom center thereof and a gas outlet provided near the oil outlet, the second condenser secondly condensing the hydrocarbon gas, not liquefied in the first condenser but discharged via the gas outlet and introduced into the first condenser via the gas inlet, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a plurality of sludge separator, connected with a bottom of the quick cooler, including an oil outlet provided on a top of outer circumference and a sludge outlet on a bottom center thereof, the sludge separator separating sludge from oil discharged from the quick cooler; a water separator for separating water from tire oil introduced from the oil outlets of the sludge separator, the first condenser, the second condenser via pipe lines; and an oil tank for storing tire oil introduced from the water separator via a pipe line.

In the invention, sludge separated and discharged from the sludge separator and non-condensing gas, not condensed in the second condenser but discharged, are fed back into the pyrolysis equipment via separate pipe lines, respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a process configuration diagram showing an apparatus for producing oil from waste tires in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawing.

Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus for producing oil from waste tires is configured to pyrolyze waste tires by applying heat of low temperature of 150° C. to 200° C. direct to the waste tires, not to incinerate the waste tires, convert carbon C, hydrogen H and sulfur S ingredients contained in the waste tires into combustible hydrocarbon gas C_(m)H_(n) and utilize the hydrocarbon gas, after condensing and cooling process, as an alternative energy for light oil or heavy oil.

To accomplish the object, the apparatus 100 for producing oil from waste tires having a predetermined volume comprises a pyrolysis equipment 20 for pyrolyzing the waste tires by applying heat of comparatively low temperature of 150° C. to 200° C. below direct to the waste tires, a quick cooler 30 for cooling hydrocarbon gas, discharged from the pyrolysis equipment 20, to become oil, first and second condensers 40 and 50 for condensing the hydrocarbon gas, discharged from the cooler 30, to become oil, a sludge separator 60 for separating sludge contained in the oil discharged from the cooler 30, a water separator 70 for separating water from the oil discharged from the sludge separator 60, the first condenser 40 and the second condenser 50, and an oil tank 80 for storing the oil discharged from the water separator 70.

The pyrolysis equipment 20 includes a tires drop 21, through which waste tires are put, established on a top thereof, and a gas outlet 22 near the tires drop 21.

A plurality of igniters 23 is provided on a lower position of outer circumference of the pyrolysis equipment 20. Besides, on a bottom of the pyrolysis equipment 20, an oxygen supply pipe 24 for supplying oxygen of small quantity into the pyrolysis equipment 20 starting operation is provided to connect a non-condensing gas supply pipe 25 for feeding back non-condensing gas.

In addition, a water jacket 26 is installed to surround the outer circumference of the pyrolysis equipment 20. Moreover, a sludge inlet 27, through which sludge fed back is introduced, is mounted on an upper position of the igniter 23.

The cooler 30 of the invention is connected internally with a cooling oil inlet 31 provided on a top of the cooler 30 and a cooling oil sprayer 32 connected with the cooling oil inlet 31 is provided on a top inside of the cooler 30 to spray cooling oil.

Furthermore, a gas inlet 33 is installed on a lower position in a predetermined height of the cooler 30 and a gas outlet 34 is provided on an upper position of the cooler 30. Accordingly, the hydrocarbon gas, discharged from the gas outlet 22 of the pyrolysis equipment 20 and introduced into the cooler 30 via a pipe line and the gas inlet 33, becomes oil by the cooling oil sprayed by the cooling oil sprayer 32.

The first condenser 40 of the invention having a predetermined volume includes a gas inlet 41 provided on a top thereof and a cooling water circulating pipe 42 established on an outer circumference thereof.

An oil outlet 43 is formed on a bottom of the first condenser 40 and a gas outlet 44 is provided near the oil outlet 43.

The first condenser 40 is configured to firstly condense the hydrocarbon gas failed in becoming oil, discharged from the gas outlet 34 of the cooler 30 and introduced into the first condenser 40 via a pipe line and the gas inlet 41, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil.

The second condenser 50 of the invention having a predetermined volume includes a gas inlet 51 on a top for introducing the hydrocarbon gas discharged from the gas outlet 44 and a cooling water circulating pipe 52 established on an outer circumference.

An oil outlet 53 is formed on a bottom of the second condenser 50 and a gas outlet 54 is provided near the oil outlet 53.

The second condenser 50 is configured to condense secondly the hydrocarbon gas failed in becoming oil, discharged from the gas outlet 44 of the first condenser 40 and introduced into the second condenser 50 via a pipe line and the gas inlet 51, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil.

Meanwhile, the sludge separator 60 is configured to have a plural number and each of the sludge separators 60 is coupled to the bottom of the cooler 30 via pipe lines.

An oil outlet 61 is formed on a top of outer circumference of each sludge separator 60 and a sludge outlet 62 is provided on a bottom thereof.

Tire oil discharged from the respective oil outlets 61, 43 and 53 of the sludge separator 60, the first condenser 40 and the second condenser 50 is introduced into the water separator 70 via pipe liens.

The water separator 70 includes a water outlet 71 provided on a bottom and an oil outlet 72 installed on an upper position in a predetermined height thereof, through which oil and water are separated from each other in the upper and lower positions, respectively, and discharged.

Tire oil discharged from the oil outlet 72 of the water separator 70 is introduced into a separate oil tank 80 for storing the oil via a pipe line.

In the present invention, sludge separated and discharged from the sludge separator 60 and non-condensing gas, not condensed, discharged from the second condenser 50 are fed back to the pyrolysis equipment 20 via separate pipe lines, respectively.

Hereinafter, the operations of the invention will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, after putting the waste tires of 100 to 500 numbers into the pyrolysis equipment 20 through the tires drop 21 at a time, the tires drop 21 is made airtight. Next, fires are ignited by the igniters 23 provided on the lower positions of outer circumference of the pyrolysis equipment 20 and oxygen of small quantity is supplied via the oxygen supply pipe 24 from the bottom. Then, the waste tires are pyrolyzed at relatively low temperature of 180° C. to 200° C.

Pyrolysis mechanism of the waste tire in the pyrolysis equipment 20 will be described hereinafter.

Pyrolysis reaction under the atmospheric pressure is primarily an endothermic reaction that heat is absorbed into the waste tire. Then, combustible materials contained in the waste tire become gases and carbon ingredient reacts with water to generate hydrocarbon gas during pyrolysis reaction as follow:

C+H₂O+ΔH→H₂+CO

C+2H₂O+ΔH→CO₂+2H₂

C+CO₂+ΔH→2CO

Besides, as a second pyrolysis reaction, CO gas or H₂ gas reacts with water and carbon to lead to an exothermic reaction and the heat generated is applied to first heat of decomposition.

CO+H₂O→CO₂+H₂+ΔH

C+O₂→CO₂+ΔH

CO+2H₂O→CH₄+ΔH

That is, the pyrolysis reaction includes the first endothermic reaction generating hydrocarbon gas and the second exothermic reaction generating heat, the heat being applied to the first endothermic reaction that requires heat.

In the pyrolysis process of the waste tires as described above, when igniting fires and supplying oxygen of small quantity to the waste tires in the pyrolysis equipment 20 at the beginning stage, pyrolysis of waste tires makes slow progress to generate combustible hydrocarbon gas C_(m)H_(n).

The combustible hydrocarbon gas generated from the pyrolysis equipment 20 is discharged through the gas outlet 22 formed on the top thereof and introduced into the quick cooler 30 via the pipe line and the gas inlet 33 formed on the lower position of the cooler 30.

At the same time, cooling oil is supplied via the cooling oil inlet 31 provided on the top of the cooler 30 and the cooling oil supplied is sprayed in the aerosol type by the cooling oil sprayer 32 to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil.

Tire oil generated in this process is introduced into the sludge separator 60 via a pipe connected to the bottom of the cooler 30.

Meanwhile, the hydrocarbon gas failed in becoming oil in the cooler 30 is discharged via the gas outlet 34 provided on the top of the cooler 30 and introduced into the first condenser 40 via the pipe line.

The hydrocarbon gas in the first condenser 40 moves downward and is condensed to become oil by exchanging heat with cooling water that flows in the cooling water circulating pipe 42 established on the outer circumference of the first condenser 40. The tire oil generated is discharged via the oil outlet 43 formed on the bottom of the first condenser 40.

The hydrocarbon gas failed in becoming oil in the first condenser 40 is discharged via the gas outlet 44 provided on one side of the bottom of the first condenser 40 and introduced into the top inside of the second condenser 50 via the pipe line.

The hydrocarbon gas in the second condenser 50 moves downward and is condensed to become oil by exchanging heat with cooling water that flows in the cooling water circulating pipe 52 established on the outer circumference of the second condenser 50 in the same manner in the first condenser 40. The tire oil generated is discharged via the oil outlet 53 formed on the bottom of the second condenser 50.

Meanwhile, the tire oil discharged from the quick cooler 30 and introduced into the sludge separator 60 contains sludge. Here, the sludge stationed for a predetermined time in the sludge separator 60 sinks downward and the tire oil that floats on the sludge is discharged via the oil outlet 61 formed on the top of the sludge separator 60.

The tire oils discharged from the sludge separator 60, from the first condenser 40 and from the second condenser 50 are introduced into the water separator 70 via pipe lines. When stationing the tire oil for a predetermined time in the water separator 70, water having great weight sinks downward and the tire oil that floats on the water is discharged via the oil outlet 72 installed on the upper position in a predetermined height of the water separator 70, introduced and stored into the oil tank 80.

The water sunk downward in the water separator 70 is discharged via the water outlet 71 provided on the bottom thereof.

The sludge sunk downward in the sludge separator 60 is fed back into the pyrolysis equipment 20 via a separate pipe line and the sludge inlet 27 and the non-condensing gas that is not condensed in the second condenser 50 is also fed back into the pyrolysis equipment 20 via the non-condensing gas supply pipe 25.

The above-described process is executed repeatedly all the while the apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires in accordance with the present invention is operating.

Meanwhile, the carbon black that lingers after generating hydrocarbon gas in the pyrolysis process of the invention may be made to activated carbon through the second pyrolysis process and the iron cores obtained after pyrolyzing the waste tires may be reclaimed as scrap irons, thus providing substantial benefits.

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires that does not incinerate the waste tires but produce tire oil from the waste tires. That is, the apparatus of the invention pyrolyzes the waste tires at comparatively low temperature of 180° C. to 200° C. by supplying oxygen of small quantity, converts carbon C and hydrogen H ingredients contained in the waste tires into combustible hydrocarbon gas C_(m)H_(n) and utilizes the hydrocarbon gas, after condensing and cooling process, as an alternative energy for light oil or heavy oil. Accordingly, the apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires does not contaminate environment by harmful gas, dust, bad odor, etc., but obtains the tire oil having a caloric value compared with the light oil. 

1. An apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires comprising: a pyrolysis equipment including a tires drop and a gas outlet on a top thereof, an igniter in a predetermined height and an oxygen supply pipe for supplying oxygen of small quantity from a bottom, the pyrolysis equipment pyrolyzing waste tires by applying heat of 180° C. to 200° C. direct to the waste tires; a quick cooler including a cooling oil inlet connected from an outside to a top inside thereof, a cooling oil sprayer provided on the top inside thereof, a gas inlet on a lower position thereof and a gas outlet on one side of the top thereof, the quick cooler ejecting cooling oil to hydrocarbon gas, discharged from the gas outlet of the pyrolysis equipment and introduced via the gas inlet to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a first condenser of a predetermined volume including a cooling water circulating pipe established on an outer circumference thereof, a gas inlet provided on a top center thereof, an oil outlet formed on a bottom center thereof and a gas outlet provided near the oil outlet, the first condenser firstly condensing the hydrocarbon gas, not liquefied in the quick cooler but discharged via the gas outlet and introduced into the first condenser via the gas inlet, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a second condenser of a predetermined volume including a cooling water circulating pipe established on an outer circumference thereof, a gas inlet provided on a top center thereof, an oil outlet formed on a bottom center thereof and a gas outlet provided near the oil outlet, the second condenser secondly condensing the hydrocarbon gas, not liquefied in the first condenser but discharged via the gas outlet and introduced into the first condenser via the gas inlet, to turn the hydrocarbon gas into oil; a plurality of sludge separator, connected with a bottom of the quick cooler, including an oil outlet provided on a top of outer circumference and a sludge outlet on a bottom center thereof, the sludge separator separating sludge from oil discharged from the quick cooler; a water separator for separating water from tire oil introduced from the oil outlets of the sludge separator, the first condenser, the second condenser via pipe lines; and an oil tank for storing tire oil introduced from the water separator via a pipe line.
 2. The apparatus for producing tire oil from waste tires as recited in claim 1, wherein sludge separated and discharged from the sludge separator and non-condensing gas, not condensed in the second condenser but discharged, are fed back into the pyrolysis equipment via separate pipe lines, respectively. 